COLUMBUS  Church groups and anti-gambling activists plan to sue Ohio today over its decision to join a multistate lottery game such as Powerball or the Big Game, arguing that such a game would violate Ohio's Constitution.

Lottery opponents also plan to ask a Franklin County judge to block the state from moving ahead with a multistate game.

We hope the state will realize its mistake and give it up, the Rev. John Edgar of the United Methodist Church said Monday. If we lose, we'll continue all the way to the Ohio Supreme Court.

The church groups will be joined by the Ohio Roundtable, a nonprofit public policy advocacy group. The Roundtable helped defeat issues on the 1990 and 1996 ballots that would have brought casino gambling to the state.

Gov. Bob Taft will ask the attorney general to fight the lawsuit, said a Taft spokeswoman.

The opponents plan to cite a 1988 legal opinion by then-Attor ney General Anthony Celebrezze on the constitutionality of joining a multistate game. Mr. Celebrezze said the Ohio Constitution provides for the Lottery Commission to run only a statewide lottery with the entire net proceeds to be paid into the state treasury.

On Dec. 13, Mr. Taft, a Republican, signed a bill that authorizes Ohio to join a multistate lottery to help plug a $1.5 billion hole in the current two-year budget. It's projected to bring in $41 million to the state over the next 1 1/2 years.